The Salina Area United Way is looking for some new volunteers.

According to the organization, anyone interested in becoming a volunteer is invited to a special event later this month. A new volunteer orientation session is planned for Thursday, January 17th.

There will be a light dinner, during which information will be presented about what the United Way does in the community and the ways volunteers help. They will then break up into committees to talk more specifically about their duties.

The new volunteer orientation will be Thursday, January 17th, at the VITA location next to Corkie’s Diner at 140 B S. Santa Fe in Downtown Salina.  You should be able to enter off of Santa Fe if construction has not begun. If it has, you can park and enter off the parking lot directly behind Corkie’s

The Salina Area United Way began in 1936 as “The Community Chest”. It was founded in Salina as an efficient way to raise money for charity, broadening the base of giving and increasing fund stability. The five founding agencies are still partners.

The concept of a payroll deduction was introduced in the 60s, greatly increasing the rate of giving. The resulting workplace campaigns increased the visibility of the United Fund, and many people got in the habit of giving regularly.

From the beginning until the 1990s this system worked very well, providing a stamp of approval for the member organizations, proving their accountability for donor dollars.

Since the 1990s, the United Way has sought to respond to changing demographics and economic fluctuations by developing new approaches to helping people. Their four Priority Councils help identify emerging needs and direct unding accordingly.